Month: October 2009

For many years groups of parents have worked together to give their children progressive or house-to-house parties. They have met with such great success that we’ve been collecting definite ideas for these functions.

The great advantage of a progressive party is that it enables the youngsters to be out-of-doors part of the time, and provides active exercise that fulfills youthful
yearnings for a rip-roaring good time.

Adult “ghosts” should accompany the group on each excursion.

People in the same neighborhood can get together and plan the programs that will take place in each house. If six families join forces they might share the expenses
and plan their party this way :

House No.1.

Have an active game which will thoroughly break the ice, such as Tagging the Black Cat’s Tail or Circus.
Each child gets a hat and mask to wear during the evening.

House No.2.

Give the children marshmallows, gumdrops and toothpicks, to make decorative Hallowe’en favors. The most attractive favors win a prize.

House No.3.

Guests bob for apples, play Hallowe’en Ten Pins and Peanut in the Pumpkin.

House No.4.

Another game, perhaps Torch-bearers or Black Cat and Bat, played in the yard until the main dish of the menu is ready to be served.

House No.5.

Dessert here and a good Fortune game.

House No.6.

End the party with the presentation of the favors; have each child tell a five-minute ghost story, and serve Goblin Punch. The evening, both for the
children and you, will be a complete success..

Be sure to have a good supply of prizes for the games, and award all the prizes at the last house.

The most thrilling kind of decoration you can provide is Jack-o’lanterns, and a liberal use of small prizes and favors will add much to the success of the entertainment.

Games should be of the active sort.

By all means have the traditional apple ducking and bobbing.

“Six mothers and fathers got together, each furnishing an equal share for the following inexpensive party.
“Invitations: Jack-o’-lanterns cut from orange paper.

“Receiving of guests: Each child is given a mask when he arrives.

“Entertainment: The room, from which all the furniture has. been removed, is decorated with cornstalks, leaves and Jacko’-lanterns. Shadow ,pictures are put on
by the parents, and ghost stories are told.

The children play Charades, bob for apples, duck for apples, and each child gives a stunt.

A twelve-year-old girl planned this party for her friends, a group of boys and girls, so that the novel theme was a surprise even to her mother.

In each invitation she asked the guests to bring oranges, apples, candies and canned goods for a mysterious purpose.

The children spent an enjoyable evening playing games, giving stunts, and telling ghost stories. Finally Jane asked their approval of this plan :

Would they like to proceed with masks and Jack-o’lanterns to the home of a needy family and leave their boxes of food on the porch as a new kind of Hallowe’en prank? The boys and girls were delighted, and with Jane’s father as helper brought the food to the house, knocked on the door, and ran to hiding places to watch.
They saw the door open and the mother step out to look at the boxes. Soon the little children gathered around to exclaim over the good things left’ for them. When
the family was safely inside, Jane and her band of goblins turned happily homeward, ready for refreshments and certain that this was the best Hallowe’en fun they had ever had.

Ghost Party Invitation:

We’ve had a message from a ghost
Who says he’d like to be our host
On Saturday that’s Hallowe’en.
He says the spooks will lay a trail
That we’re to follow – if we fail
Never more shall we be seen.
We’ll meet at at _____

Ghost Party Game:

When all have gathered, perhaps in someone’s back yard, announce that the first message is tacked on a tree. When the crowd has found it, they will read at the
top the place where they are to go next, perhaps go to the back of the house at 23 Barrow Street,” and underneath write this verse:

Spooks always carry some extra teeth.
They dropped a few just beneath
The biggest tree in the yard.
Who finds the most
May lay the ghost.
So look hard, my friends, look hard!

The spook’s teeth are candy corn, a few grains tied together in twists of paper and scattered about by the trail layers within a radius of 20 yards around a designated tree.

And on the tree itself they have placed this message:

There’s a reward for the one who brings in the most.
So don’t eat your loot, says our ghost host.
Now: Go to the nearest schoolyard”
(or wherever):

In the Northeast corner
You may hear some moans.
Look around there for
Ten sets of bones.

In the school yard the trail blazers will have scattered ten sets of dice (you know, they’re often called ‘bones’) or you could even have saved real bones from fried
chicken, etc.! Lying under one set of bones will be the next message:

Go to the alley behind the nearest grocery store.”

What else do witches travel with
Besides their brooms and bats?
If you’ll just hunt hard enough
You’ll find the eyes of their cats!

The cat’s eyes are marbles, which ought to show up well in the flashlight’s gleams.

And the next message will be placed under a couple of Cats’ eyes.”

Go to the hedge by the vacant lot..”
The witches’ bats got themselves caught,
Trying to clear the brush.
There are 30 of them there – but beware!
They may fly off in a rush!

The bats are licorice drops, each one tied in a twist of black crepe paper to resemble a body with wings. These are tied on strings and hung from bush branches or if
the hedge or bush border is thick enough, they can just be laid on the bushes.

The next message will also hang from the bushes:

Go to_______________.

The witches are having the glooms.
All on account of their brooms.
They were flying high but had a wreck,
Now they’ve a chance the remains to collect!

The “remains” are tiny bundles of broom straws (cut from old and no longer usable brooms) perhaps three or four straws in a bundle, tied with a string. Around one
of them the next message is wrapped:

Go to__________________.

The spooks had trouble, Caught their chains in a tree.
Better hurry or they
May finally get free. ~
(Be sure to collect every bit of debris.)

At this spot will be scattered sections of paper chains (yes, the kind you made
in Kindergarten). Attached to one of the chains is the final message:

Now if you all
Will face the east coast
And stand in silence,
YOU MAY MEET YOUR HOST!

When they’ve collected their chains, and are standing in the silence as ordered, one of you, dressed as a ghost, will come running toward them, moaning and wailing
as ghosts do.
(P. S. Don’t scare them to death.)

The ghost, in hollow tones, will say ‘Follow me’ and lead them back to the spot (someone’s back yard or a park) where the open fire is blazing and an appetizing stew (in a big witches kettle) is bubbling and wafting a mighty tasty perfume.